OTRR_Certified_Whitehall_1212.jpg

Whitehall 1212

by: Old Time Radio Researchers Group

Publication date: 2017-08-01

Usage: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International

WHITEHALL 1212
Named after the then famous telephone number of Scotland Yard -- the headquarters of the London Metropolitan Police Force, Whitehall 1212 was a weekly crime drama radio show. It ran from November 18, 1951 until September 28, 1952.

The stories were true and stated to be "the plain unvarnished facts, just as they occurred". The show, in their own words, presented some of the "most baffling cases" as hosted by the fictitious Scotland Yard Chief Superintendent John Davison. Davison was said to be the curator of the Yard's "Black Museum" a name given it in 1877. Artifacts described in the show were the basis for the story about the crime.

Whitehall 1212 was actually produced in the United States at NBC. The stories were well researched by Percy Hoskins, Chief Crime Reporter of the London Daily Express, and by the Writer-Director, Wyllis Cooper. Also, the show had the official support of the Yard. The cast were all British, which gives the show an authentic air and appeal.

The stories are told from the view of the police who did the hard work in solving the case, and thus it down plays some of the more sensational aspects. In comparison, at the same time, Orson Welles was on a show titled The Black Museum. It was a production of British commercial radio producer Harry Alan Towers and told the story in a more dramatic fashion. The two shows closely paralleled each other, and ran during the same timeframe. The Black Museum was run in the United States on the Mutual Network from January 1 to December 30, 1952.

Wyllis Cooper was noteworthy for his work on Quiet Please, and Lights Out. However, working from purely factual basis for the stories limited his artistic expression. Still, the stories were well presented and compelling.

Information for this synopsis was taken from The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, and Wikipedia.
OTRR Release Information:

Series Name: Whitehall 1212
Release Status: OTRR Certified Accurate
Release Date: April 13, 2017
Release Version: Version 2
Number of CDs: 2
From the Old Time Radio Researchers Group. See "Notes" Section below for more information on the OTRR.

Notes

OLD TIME RADIO RESEARCHERS GROUP

This is a production of the Old Time Radio Researchers (OTRR) Group located at Old Time Radio Researchers Website (www.otrr.org), Old Time Radio Researchers Facebook Group, and Old Time Radio Researchers Group.

It contains the most complete and accurate version of this series in the best sound possible at the time of creation. An updated version will be issued if more episodes or better sounding ones become available.

If you are interested in preserving Old Time Radio (OTR), you may wish to join the Old Time Radio Researchers Group at Facebook and Groups.io.

Relax, listen, and enjoy!

OTRR Definitions:

OTRR Maintained Set -- This set contains all known episodes in the best available audio condition with the most accurate dates and titles known to be in general circulation and based on current research at the time of release. Replaces OTRR Certified Accurate and OTRR Certified Complete.

OTRR Non-Maintained Set -- A collection of shows that has not gone through the OTRR Maintenance process.

Pre-2019 OTRR Definitions:

OTRR Certified Accurate -- A series that was "Certified Accurate" indicated that all the episodes were properly identified and labeled based on current information but that the series did not contain all known extant episodes.

OTRR Certified Complete -- A series that was "Certified Complete" achieved the highest level of certification available under the OTRR Certified Standards. This certification level implied that all the files in the series were "Certified Accurate" and also indicated that the series was as complete as possible and included all circulating episodes.

OTRR Non-Certified -- A collection of shows that has not gone through the OTRR Certification process.

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